A Family of His Own
by arabianhorse
Summary: An AU where Peter Pettigrew never betrayed the Potters. Instead, he acted as another spy for Dumbledore and has been away on a mission for the last 13 years. He's back now and with Sirius is ready to take Harry from the Dursleys. AU sometime during PoA.
1. Prologue Part 1

A/N: The premise of this story is an AU where Peter Pettigrew didn't betray the Potters, but was acting as a spy for Dumbledore in the Dark Lord's Death Eaters. He has recently returned from an 11 year mission in Romania, where he was hunting down and infiltrating underground groups of the Dark Lord's loyal servants. Now that he's returned, he is unhappy to see that Sirius has been framed for the murder of his friends, Remus is being persecuted for his "condition" and Harry has been leading an unhappy life with the Dursleys. The story turns AU some point during the third book, when Peter appears and begins working to help his friend's son and keep those he loves and cares for safe.

There won't be any Dumbledore bashing, and there will be some good guy!Snape. I apologise to anyone who dislikes this fic because it isn't completely cruel to Pettigrew, but I had this idea and it wouldn't leave me alone.

Oh, and some things I'm afraid I didn't make to clear in this short Prologue: 1) McNair was the one who killed the Potters (which will be explained later). If anyone finds something unclear, just let me know.

This is my first fic in Harry Potter, so please don't be too cruel. But do read, review, and leave constructive criticism. : ) Thanks!

Prologue: Part One

_Present Day_

When Peter Pettigrew first returned from the furthest reaches of Romania, he had expected to see a young, happy thirteen year old Harry Potter, possibly with the last vestiges of baby fat clinging to his cheeks, and a ready smile for the world. What he found, upon his return to the UK and Hogwarts, instead, was a thin boy with haunted green eyes tinted with suspicion of the world and everything in it.

Part of Peter ached deep inside for the child that Lily and James could have had- the one Harry could have been- if they'd lived.

But mostly he felt rage and anger at the way Lily's own sister had treated her only nephew. And anger towards himself, Sirius, and Remus for being unable to take care of Harry themselves.

"I can't believe," he snarled at Remus, who was sitting across from him in the Three Broomsticks, "that Lily's own sister would hold such a grudge that she would take it out on a helpless child."

"You know that she and Lily had a rocky relationship once Lily got into Hogwarts and she didn't. It also didn't help that their parents praised all of Lily's achievements so much. Petunia felt neglected, and became jealous." The werewolf tiredly lifted his glass to take a sip.

Peter sighed. "I know. I just thought that Lily was finally starting to patch things up with her."

Remus shook his head, slowly turning his Firewhiskey on the bar. "I think she never stopped trying, after she got into Hogwarts. But once she and James were forced into hiding, I think that stopped any continued efforts on her part."

After a short pause, where Peter continued to fume silently, Remus finally added, "Have you talked to Dumbledore about-"

"Yes. He actually seemed amenable to the idea. I don't think he was any happier about leaving Harry with those damn Muggles."

"He didn't say anything about McNair being on the loose and the Ministry still looking for Sirius?"

"He felt that we should go ahead and take Harry, worry about catching McNair later. Said that staying at Grimmauld Place might be the best bet to keep both Harry and Sirius safe, until Sirius is cleared. Though that bastard McNair will be mine."

"No, not yours," corrected Remus. "Ours. We'll get him for what he did to Lily, James, and Sirius _together_."

Peter smiled wryly into his glass as he raised it to Remus'. "Together, then."

That's it for now, but there will definitely be more coming shortly, along with explanations to clear up any questions. I know it's short, but I just wanted to go ahead and get something out to get the story started. The next bit will DEFINITELY be longer. Hopefully it'll be done sometime tomorrow. Please read and review! Any flames will be used to roast marshmallows. : )


	2. Prologue Part 2

A/N: Ok, so this part might be a bit confusing, and I apologize in advance for any issues people might have with it. I didn't get a chance to really reread over it, so any mistakes grammatically are mine, as are any spelling mistakes. If there are any glaring plotholes, please let me know. But do keep in mind that some things that were set up in this will be explained later on.

This second part of the prologue takes place a short while before the last part, where Remus and Peter were discussing what to do about Harry. This is set in the third book directly after Buckbeak has been "killed", or when Harry, Ron, and Hermione think he's been killed. I know it starts off sort of abruptly, but I was having a hard time getting this part off the ground. If it helps any, the chapter in PoA this starts at is called_ Cat, Rat, and Dog._ I did borrow some of J.K.'s own dialogue in some parts, or at least paraphrased it as best I could. However, some bits you won't recognize from the book, and those are mine, or inspired by the movie.

If anyone has any questions or concerns, just let me know. And as always, please read and review!

* * *

Prologue: Part Two (set after Buckbeak's "death" in PoA)

"Oh, please Ron," began Hermione, who turned to glance back at her stock-still friend. Unshed tears still could be seen in her eyes in the late afternoon sun. What she wanted most at that moment was to escape from behind Hagrid's house and the scene of Buckbeak's heartless murder. Hagrid could still be heard wailing, and just listening to his heartfelt cries made her feel that much worse.

Ron, on the other hand, was ignoring her completely as he tried to keep his rat, Scabbers, from escaping his tight hold. "No, stop it, you stupid rat!"

"Ron! Be quiet!" hissed Harry desperately. "Fudge'll hear us!" The last thing the trio needed was to be caught sneaking around outside the castle when they weren't supposed to be. Ron's movement was making the Invisiblity Cloak slip slowly off, and the Cloak was practically all that was keeping them from trouble.

Out of the corner of his eye, Harry caught sight of a flash of orange. 'Oh, no' he thought, just as Hermione moaned, "Oh, Crookshanks! No! Bad cat! Go away!"

It was too late, however, as Scabbers had evidently sensed the cat's approach, and giving a loud squeak and violent twist, he freed himself from Ron's grip. Crookshanks immeadiately gave chase, following the squeaking rat across the grounds.

Ron also followed, flinging the Invisibility Cloak off. Harry and Hermione hesitated a moment before also tearing off the cloak and breaking out into a run.

"RON!" Hermione yelled. "RON!"

Up ahead, Ron could be heard yelling at the two animals, "Get away from him! Scabbers, come back- HERE! BOTH OF YOU!"

A moment later, and Ron's red head dissappeared as he tripped over something on the ground.

"RON!" the other two chorused.

"Are you alright?" demanded Hermione, as she reached her fallen friend first.

Ron sat up, hand clutching his erstwhile rat victoriously. "Gotcha! I'm alright. But poor Scabbers-"

Before he could get any further, the sound of soft pounding reached their ears. Quick as a flash, and near silent, a huge black dog jumped out at them and lunged straight for Harry's chest.

He gasped, fear and lack of breath making him freeze for a moment, wand clutched uselessly in his hand. The big, pale eyes of the dog bored into his for a brief moment, and Harry was surprised at the lack of aggression in them. There was something else there, though something else he couldn't quite place...

However, the momentum of the dog's leap carried it a bit too far, and it rolled off Harry, onto the ground before he could figure out what exactly it was that he'd seen. Harry struggled upright, ribs aching like they'd been broken, just in time to see the enormous animal recoil for a new attack, spring, latch its jaws tight around Ron's arm, and start dragging him away with seemingly little effort.

"RON!" he cried but Ron's only response was a muffled groan that faded quickly.

Both he and Hermione, who'd previously been frozen in terror, gave a cry and began to move forward. They didn't get far, as a sudden and completely unexpected swipe to Harry's face from something unidentifiable knocked him to the ground once more and cut his forehead painfully

Hermione also gave a shriek, but in the darkening evening, was out of his line of sight. Wiping blood from his eyes, Harry whispered "Lumos" and located Hermione a few feet away, with a large cut on her shoulder that was bleeding profusely. He grimaced at her, and then looked around as best as he could lying the way he was at their surroundings.

The trio's mad dash after the rat and cat had led them straight to the Whomping Willow, though they were still some distance away. The giant black dog was ahead of them, teeth still firmly clamped around a violently struggling and swearing Ron, dragging him to the base of the trunk and into a gap in the roots.

"There!" he cried, pointing with his wand.

Hermione's eyes followed the light and she exclaimed, "But how are we going to get through the branches? We've already been hit! We should go for help- someone who knows what to do!"

"No, look!" Harry pointed at the gap, where one of Ron's legs had hooked around a large root as he fought against the dog. However, the animal proved to be stronger than him, and, with a great tug, his leg snapped and he was dragged fully inside.

Hermione went pale at the loud crack Ron's leg had made, and Harry turned to look at her, saying, "That thing's big enough to eat him! We haven't got the time to go get help- we need-"

"A way through," Hermione finished.

"If that dog can get in, we can," Harry panted. He started forward, only to narrowly avoid being hit by another wildly swinging branch.

Behind him, he heard Hermione cry, "Harry, be care- Oh, Crookshanks, no! Not again!"

The cat darted forward between the branches and pressed its paws upon a knot on the trunk. Instantaneously, the whole tree froze, no longer twisting and thrashing dangerously.

"How...how did he know?"

"He's friends with that dog," Harry replied. "I think I've seen them together. C'mon. Let's go get Ron."

Together they crossed quickly over to the gap and slid through it after the cat. On instinct, Harry followed the cat as it led them through an underground tunnel.

"Do you know where this tunnel comes out?" whispered Hermione.

"Unfortunately, no. It's on the Marauder's Map, but Fred and George said no one's ever gotten into it. It goes off the edge of the map, but it looked like it was heading for Hogsmeade..." He trailed off as Crookshanks disappeared abruptly through a hole slightly above them.

Cautiously, he and Hermione edged closer, wands raised as they peered into what looked like a messy, unused, and dusty room. Furniture was smashed haphazardly, and the old paint on the walls was peeling. The wood of the building itself bore deep scratches from what, Harry didn't know.

He turned to Hermione, and with a nod, they crawled through the hole one at a time. Once inside, Harry noticed an open door to their right. Just as he moved towards it, Hermione seized his elbow, hissing, "Harry, it's- it's the Shrieking Shack."

Automatically, he stopped and glanced around once more. "Ghosts couldn't have done any of this," he observed. Just then, something creaked overhead. He and Hermione whipped their heads around to gaze cautiously above. Hermione latched onto Harry's arm, grip tightening more and more as the seconds passed. Finally, he turned and looked at her. She gave a minute nod, and they proceeded out of the room and into a hallway.

A decrepit staircase rose up another level in the hall, covered completely in dust, except where something-Ron- had been dragged up it, leaving a clean strip. Together, they whispered, "Nox" and then proceeded up the steps.

On the second floor lay a hall with several doors, all of which were tightly shut but one. Movement and moans could be heard coming from inside the room, including a low purr, most likely from Crookshanks.

Harry crept closer. He saw Hermione watching him closely from the corner of his eye. _Now_.

His leg swung out and slammed into the door hard, blasting it open all the way. Breathing hard from nerves, and the force of his own kick, Harry surveyed what he could see of the room.

Inside lay a large, four poster bed, covered and caked in dust, on which Crookshanks lay purring. Ron lay beside it in the dust, clutching his leg, which was bent unnaturally. His face was pale, with an unsettling green tinge to it. His lips were pressed so firmly together that they seemed bloodless and without color. Harry blinked.

Hermione, having seen all this from the other side of the hall, hurried to Harry's side, shoving a bit at him and making him move further into the room.

"Ron!" she cried, startling a similar echo from Harry, "Your leg- it's broken!". They rushed over to see to their injured friend.

"Where's the dog?" asked Harry. He hadn't seen it in his initial survey of the room.

"Not a dog," Ron gritted out over Hermione's _What?_, "Harry, it's a trap-"

"What? Ron-" he began, only to be cut off by his best friend's insistent looks and words.

"_Him. He's the dog...he's an Animagus!_"

Harry turned to look at what Ron was staring at behind him, and found himself face to face with a man standing in front of the now closed door.

The man was a mess of grime and filth- mud caked over portions of his person, a scraggly and dirty beard, elbow-length black hair that was so knotted and so dirty it hardly resembled hair anymore, but rather a nest of dirt, leaves, and other things he wasn't sure he wanted to know about. But it wasn't the dirtiness of the man's appearance that got his attention. Rather, it was the man's eyes.

Pale and sickly looking skin was stretched so tight over his skull that it gave the illusion that the only alive part of him were his sunken and gleaming dark eyes that watched Harry and his friends intently.

The man smiled with yellow teeth. Harry knew then. He was Sirius Black.

"Expelliarmus!" the convict cried, and both Harry and Hermione lost their wands. Eyes never leaving Harry, Black smiled a bit wider and moved closer.

"I thought you'd come and help your friend," he croaked in a voice that obviously suffered from disuse. "Your father would have done the same for his friends. Brave of you, not to run for a teacher. I'm grateful...it'll make everything much easier..."

At the mention of his father from the killer's mouth, fury engulfed Harry and it was all he could do to stay still and not throw himself at Black angrily. Even though Black looked skeletal and frail after months on the run, he was still a grown man and Harry was only a boy of thirteen. At the same time, however, it was very tempting to Harry to wipe the smile off Black's face.

Just as he was planning on doing something reckless, Ron spoke up. "If you want to kill Harry, you'll have to kill us too!" he snapped.

Black's eyes flicked to him, and an emotion similar to the one that Harry had seen in the big dog's eyes when it had leapt on him lurked in their depths. He frowned. Was that...something like...caring, in Black's eyes?

"Lie down," he said to Ron. "You'll damage that leg even more. Besides, there will only be one murder here tonight." Black's grin widened. Harry tensed, preparing for...something. He didn't know what.

At exactly that moment, however, another figure stepped out of the shadows. "You hope there will only be one murder tonight."

A pale, blonde haired man stepped out from a particularly dusty corner of the room, slight smile in place on his face. Black looked stunned to see him, spinning around with wide eyes.

"YOU!" he roared, aiming Harry's wand at the newcomer. "YOU TRAITOR!"

"No, Sirius," responded the other calmly, a look of sadness on his face. "Not a traitor. I was framed. Just like you."

Harry watched the confrontation unfold, seemingly forgotten by the two men in front of him, confused and angry.

Who was this new man? And what did he mean when he said that Black had been framed? What did he know about the murder of Harry's parents? How did he know Black and Lily and James?

All these questions and others flew through Harry's mind, rapid-fire. He wanted to say something, but words wouldn't come out. And besides, it probably wasn't a good idea to remind two armed and fully grown men that he was there and defenseless with his best friends. He really should take Ron and Hermione and leave while they could.

But all he could think was that he had been face to face with the man who he'd thought was his parent's killer, and now...he wasn't so sure.

* * *

I would like to apologize for the formatting fail in the last part. I honestly thought that the lines I'd inserted would show up, so you can imagine my surprise when they didn't. Hopefully this will turn out better, and be easier to read. And the coming chapters will (hopefully) be longer than this. I just thought that I should maybe cut the teasers short and get to work on the main part of the story soon.

Also, I would like to give a HUGE **thank you** to everyone who read, reviewed, favorited, or put this story on Story Alert! You guys are awesome! I wasn't expecting so many people to care about this with only such a short part. It was very encouraging and helped me try to hash out this part. Again, I apologize for anything that might be wrong with this chapter, and I look forward to hearing what everyone's got to say about this part. : )

Any flames will be used to make S'MORES.; )


	3. Chapter 1

A/N: I am SO SO SO SORRY about the delay in getting this chapter out, but as a college student, coursework has been kicking my butt. And it's hard to write with so many demands on my time. I've been planning this chapter for so long, and it still hasn't turned out the way I'd quite like, but it's better than what I'd had. Hopefully the next chapter will come quicker, since I have a better idea of where I'm heading with this story.

I apologize in advance for the quality of this chapter- it hasn't been beta'd and I kinda wrote it on the fly. So any mistakes are mine, please point them out. Kindly. : ) But I felt like I needed to give you guys something. SO I hope this clears up some of your questions. ; )

One reason as to why this is taking so long is that I'm actually rereading parts of the books as I go along so that I can incorporate the things I want and figure out how to address any potential plot holes. So if something really stands out as a problem, LET ME KNOW. : ) I'm trying to come up with plausible reasons why the characters are behaving the way they do and why everything is happening the way it is. So if you have any questions, ask away.

To all my reviewers and readers: YOU ARE ALL SO AWESOME. I really do appreciate that you guys are taking the time to read my story and fave/alert it or review. Really. I hope I don't disappoint too much this time around.

DISCLAIMER: If I had the genius of J.K. Rowling, I wouldn't be in college. No lie. I'd be a published author raking in the cash. Higher education? Who needs that?

* * *

Chapter One:

"Harry! Mate, are you ready yet?"

Harry Potter, glasses askew and hair mussed, pulled himself awkwardly out from under his bed holding a dirty pair of socks and his History of Magic textbook in his hands. Desperately, he flung both items into his messily packed trunk and raced to the doorway of the boys' dorm.

"Coming, Ron!"

He slammed the lid down on the mess, grabbed Hedwig from his bed and started to haul it out as Ron yelled back, " You'd better be, or we'll miss the train!"

As Harry neared the bottom of the stairs, he could hear Hermione scolding his friend, saying, "Ron! You know that isn't true! We've got some time, and besides, the train won't leave until everyone is on it who needs to be."

"Well, that's kind of a moot point now," said Harry as he lugged his trunk past the two, "since I'm here and already leaving you two behind. Now who's late?"

Hermione huffed, but in an amused way as she and Ron grabbed their respective luggage (and pets) and followed their friend out of the Gryffindor Common Room. Her amusement quickly turned to concern, however, as she asked Harry the question that was weighing on everyone's mind.

"Harry," she began tentatively, "have you heard anything about- you know- the situation?" She lowered her voice as they passed a group of First Years huddled together in the hallway around a game of Exploding Snap, only pausing long enough to give them a dirty look.

The situation she was referring to was where exactly Harry would be living this summer. After the startling revelation a few days before that both Sirius Black and Peter Pettigrew were innocent with regards to his parents' murders, Remus had called into question whether Harry really needed to live with the Dursleys anymore. He argued that Lily and James would have wanted Harry to live with their friends in the event of their deaths and that Harry would have a better life with Sirius, himself, and Peter than he was currently experiencing at the Dursleys'. Since Dumbledore had been the one to place the spell of protection on the Dursleys' home in the first place, he could cast it over another home, in theory.*

Dumbledore had agreed to discuss the matter further with all three of the former Marauders in private along with the Dursleys in order to decide if Harry could live with his father's friends. As recently as yesterday, Dumbledore had informed Harry with a smile that even though things hadn't been resolved completely as of yet, there would be someone ( either the Dursleys or his potential new guardians) at the platform to pick him up.

Ron snorted loudly. "You make it sound like he's pregnant, Hermione. Just ask him right out."

Hermione turned red, opening her mouth to retort. Harry decided to forestall the argument, unsure if he'd be able to take it if they started arguing before making it on the train.

"Actually," he said hurriedly, "no, I still haven't. All I've been told is that there will be someone there to pick me up at the platform for sure."

"So he didn't specify who it would be?" Ron looked disappointed, as did Hermione, but she tried to put a better spin on things.

"Well, maybe the fact that he didn't have an answer for you yet means that Pettigrew and Lupin are working to be cleared to be your legal guardians. Since Remus is a werewolf and Peter was thought to be dead."

"Or it means that the Dursleys were objecting," murmured Harry sourly. For all he knew the Dursleys didn't appreciate having a "freak" around, a part of him believed that they would be mean spirited enough to want to block his potential happiness. Really, all he was hoping for was that they'd be so happy to be rid of him that they'd let him go without complaint. But all this time without knowing was making him less sure of that outcome.

The three friends climbed into a carriage and settled their trunks as best as they could, Ron and Hermione now arguing about summer schoolwork. Harry was wrapped up in his thoughts, remembering exactly how he'd ended up in a situation that still felt surreal to him now. He might be getting a new family, and a chance at happiness! It seemed unbelievable.

* * *

Harry stood frozen, questions racing through his mind. Sirius Black looked similarly shocked, eyes fixed on the blonde man who'd just appeared.

However, Harry quickly gathered his wits and took advantage of the adults' seeming preoccupation with each other, hissing "_Accio wands._" Immediately his, Ron's, and Hermione's wands came whizzing out of Black's grasp and into his outstretched palm.

The blonde man sighed softly, drawing his own wand from a pocket. "You forget that I'm armed also, Harry."

"Three against one isn't a fair battle," Harry retorted angrily.

A blonde eyebrow arched in surprise at his arrogance. "An experienced wizard against three children? No matter your powers, I doubt that you will win this confrontation."

Black shifted and snarled "Pettigrew, if you harm them at all-"

"You'll what? Sirius, you couldn't take me right now if you wanted to. And I have no intention of harming anyone here. I just want to stop them from doing something they'll regret."

"Yeah, right." Harry glared fiercely at both men. "YOU-" he pointed at Black "- killed my parents and are here to finish me off, which you failed to do the first time. And YOU-" he pointed at the man Black had called Pettigrew, "- I don't know why you're here, but I don't trust you."

"No," Black said, moving towards Harry. Harry flicked his wand back at the convict to stop him in his tracks. "No," Black repeated, halting. "I would never- I could never have betrayed James and Lily like that. Peter, Peter though, he did. And I intend to get my revenge." His sunken eyes glowed ferally as he looked back at Pettigrew.

"You're wrong, Sirius," the blonde man said sadly. "I no more killed Lily and James than you did. I wasn't the Secret Keeper."

"LIES!" roared Harry. "BOTH OF YOU ARE LYING. YOU KILLED MY PARENTS. AND YOU- YOU- YOU MUST HAVE HELPED HIM." The last was directed at Pettigrew, since Harry had no real idea how he fit into this whole thing, but figured it couldn't be in any good way.

Behind him, Hermione and Ron flinched, though Ron was barely holding onto the edges of consciousness. He was paler than before and the hand gripping his wand was shaking. Hermione's grip on her own wand was white-knuckled, but steady and she was hiding her fear as best she could.

Harry began to open his mouth, ready to stun one or (preferably) both men when-

"_Expelliarmus!" _cried a voice behind Harry. Everyone in the room found their hands empty as all wands shot towards the door. In shock, he turned to find Professor Lupin standing there, his own wand drawn. He looked tired and haggard, but determined from the set of his mouth.

He pointed it at Black and Pettigrew ( whose own wand was in his hand with the others) saying, "I couldn't believe my eyes when I saw the map, but here you both are. I won't let you hurt them."

"Somehow I think that is the farthest thing from both our minds. " Pettigrew managed a dry tone despite the underlying tenseness in his face and the serious way he was regarding the other two men.

Harry wanted to yell "LIAR!" some more, but had a feeling that it wouldn't really contribute to the situation, no matter how angry he was.

Lupin twitched slightly, and sort of turned as if he heard something behind him, and almost immediately after Snape appeared behind Lupin.

Hermione gave a little gasp, and Lupin turned to glance sharply at her. But he said nothing.

Snape's lip curled, and he seemed to know what she was thinking as he said, "Yes, Ms. Granger. He heard me coming with his superior hearing. I was sure that such a bright witch as yourself would have already been sure of her conclusions before now. After all, you did seem to catch on after that special lesson I gave."

Harry raised an eyebrow at her, confused, but more focused on what was occurring before him.

"You're...you're..." she whispered, looking at Lupin with shock in her eyes.

"Yes...Ms. Granger- is it? He is a werewolf." The man named Pettigrew seemed somewhat amused with her shock, but also concerned, like he thought she might do something unexpected.

Harry's eyes snapped back to Lupin, wondering how the hell she'd figured that out before everything snapped into place. Snape's lesson earlier this year about werewolves, Lupin's strange illnesses, the moon as his biggest fear, and the fact that he'd obviously heard Snape coming before everyone else. He felt a bit stupid for missing it, but decided he could think about it later. Now, he had to worry about the four men before him, all of whom seemed engaged in a four-way staredown of epic proportions.

"Well, Lupin, you and Black have nothing to worry about from Pettigrew. And none of you have anything to fear from any of them, Potter, though I must admit that it was rather stupid of you to follow a strange dog without coming for aid from someone more experienced than you. This is exactly why no one trusts you to not get yourself killed through stupidity." Snape sneered at all of them.

"He had Ron!" yelled Harry, pointing indignantly at Black, but Snape ignored his outburst.

"I see that this has become a case of most serious miscommunication, though I can't say I'm surprised. You four were not known for your intelligence and ability to work things out. Lupin, Pettigrew was no longer the Potters' Secret Keeper. He-"

Lupin cut Snape off. "What are you saying, Severus? Sirius was the..." he trailed off as both Black and Pettigrew shook their heads in tandem.

"No," Black said hoarsely. "I...I thought it would be better if Peter was. Less obvious, since James and I appeared to be the closest of us. I even lived with him for a while, Remus. I would have been the most obvious target for the Dark Lord."

"Then- but no," said Lupin. "Peter, you would never-" He seemed unable to finish.

"That's what I thought, too." Black looked pained.

"And he didn't." snapped Snape.

Lupin demanded "How do you even know?"

"Because," said Pettigrew, " Dumbledore also asked me to help him. Like Severus. I transferred the position again." He didn't say more than that, but Lupin and Black seemed to get the picture because Lupin paled even more and Black moaned, "No!"

"Yes." Snape's tone sounded like he was trying to be vicious, but he hadn't managed. Instead all four men looked somber and downcast.

Harry, fed up with not understanding what exactly was happening, broke in. "What are you saying? That no one here killed my parents?"

"That is exactly what we are saying Potter." Snape shot him an irritated look. "As usual, Black thought that since he was a wanted criminal that the only way he could lure you in here was through snatching one of your friends." His lip curled even more. "And of course, thanks to your stupidity, his poorly thought out plan worked, when it shouldn't have. He used that cat and the rat to lure you here for your pets."

Lupin sighed. "Harry," he started in a soothing tone, " in order to hide your parents from the Dark Lord, Dumbledore cast a special spell that would make you and your family incapable of being found by anyone. Only one person would know your location, and that person would be the Secret Keeper. Originally I thought it was Sirius, but he apparently declined in favor of Peter, who also seems to have declined."

Harry wasn't sure he still understood, but he demanded of Pettigrew, "Who? Who betrayed my parents?"

"No one." came the reply.

"But Professor Lupin just said-"

"Potter, the man who became your parent's Secret Keeper didn't betray them the way you think. It takes a very skilled Legimens to hide secrets from the Dark Lord himself." Snape gave a derisive sneer. "Not that you would be able to understand how hard it was for him to fight against that kind of power."

Protests gathered at the tip of Harry's tongue, but somehow, looking at the closed off faces of Black, who'd seemingly crumpled in on himself at the news that Pettigrew wasn't a traitor, Pettigrew himself, and Lupin, he instinctively knew that no more answers would be forthcoming.

Lupin did, however, say this: "We will tell you what happened someday, Harry. But now isn't the time. We need to get your friend, Mr. Weasley to the infirmary. And we need to hide Sirius."

Harry wasn't really mollified by this, but a glance back at Ron, who was now being cradled by a scared looking Hermione, switched his priorities around.

Snape added, "And I think detention for all three of you for being out of the castle after dinner would be fitting."

Hermione and Harry exchanged angry glances but said nothing, thinking that after everything they'd been through with Buckbeak and Black, it was unfair. Lupin stepped up and after pronouncing a few words, levitated Ron out of the room. Pettigrew and Black waited for Harry and Hermione to go before them, with Snape smugly bringing up the rear, already thinking of punishments for the three students.

Crookshanks and Scabbers suddenly reappeared as if by magic. Hermione began to scold her cat, scooping him up to be cradled in her arms. Surprisingly, Crookshanks seemed to have no issues with Scabbers also going in her pocket, and in fact seemed to get along with the rat. Harry realized that the two animals had used their supposed animosity to lure the students into the forest and the Shack.

As they walked along the tunnel from the Shrieking Shack, Black asked Harry, "I know that this is a lot to take in all at once, but how would you like to come live with me? Now that Peter's alive and can prove that I didn't kill him, my name should be cleared, and I am your godfather."

"I know. And really?" Harry spun around so quickly that he almost ran into one of the walls of the tunnel, excitement on his face. "You want me to come live with you? Honestly?"

Black's grin was skeletal, but genuine. "Of course. You're supposed to be living with me anyway."

"Of course!" cried Harry. A part of him wasn't sure Black was telling the truth, but mostly he was thrilled at the chance to leave the Dursleys behind and maybe have a real family, even if it was only his father's friends. That thought in mind, he fairly floated back to the castle, Hermione shooting him occasional looks of amusement and smiles.

* * *

The train ride back to King's Cross was fairly uneventful.

Fred and George dropped in a few times, hiding from Prefects and the students who'd had the misfortune to be pranked by the pair. Neville and Ginny shared the compartment with the trio, the girls quickly absorbed in a discussion on their own. Harry, Ron, and Neville engaged in a heated game of Exploding Snap.

By the time the train pulled to a stop at the platform, a knot of tension had formed in Harry's stomach. He gazed restlessly out the compartment windows, and as soon as the train reached a complete stop, he'd already grabbed his trunk along with Hedwig's cage and was making his way through the narrow halls to the doors.

Even though he was almost completely sure the Dursleys would be the ones to pick him up, he couldn't quite squash that last bit of hope and excitement.

Behind him, he could hear Ron and Hermione hurrying after, struggling with their own luggage. He knew that they would catch up with him on the platform, so he didn't slow. Down the few short steps on the train, out into the sunshine, and he was on the platform.

Through the crowd of proud parents and relatives, he scanned frantically for anyone he might recognize- Pettigrew, Black, or even Lupin, who'd left Hogwarts earlier and had a substitute take over for the last few classes. He was even scanning for Dumbledore, though he was very sure he wouldn't see the aged Headmaster standing there waiting on him.

"Harry, dear!" cried Mrs. Weasley's voice from somewhere behind him. He turned, still excited. Mrs. Weasley, though not the one he was looking for, was a welcome presence always. He was enveloped in a tight hug which he gratefully returned.

"Oh, dear," cried the older woman as she pulled back to gaze down fondly at her adoptive son, "you won't believe who is here for you!" She turned and waved a hand at someone hovering just out of Harry's line of sight.

Pettigrew stepped forward, smile a bit uncertain but warm as he gazed at Harry. "Hello," he greeted.

"I can live with-" Harry was cut off by a hand over his mouth. Mrs. Weasley looked a bit apologetic as she shook her head.

"I'm sorry, Harry, but you can't say his name out here yet. He hasn't been cleared yet. It's going to happen, though." She sounded very certain and smiled at Harry with confidence. "Peter's going to take you home for now. He and Remus are living with you know who, and so will you. Maybe this summer you and Ron can visit one another. I'm sure you won't mind."

This last was directed at Peter who replied, "I don't see any reason why not, once Padfoot's cleared. Harry'll definitely write, Molly. And perhaps your friend Hermione can come, too, if you'd like." He placed an arm around Harry, who suddenly clung to him tightly.

"Thank you. Thank you. Thank you so much." He could barely stop the waver in his voice. He was so happy, he thought he might burst. In a haze of happiness, he bid Hermione and Ron ecstatic goodbyes, promising to write frequently and let them visit if possible. Then, he and Peter hefted his trunk and Hedwig and hurried to a waiting car.

As he slid into the passenger seat, looked back and saw Hedwig perched in her cage on the back seat, Harry felt a greater surge of excitement. He was finally going to get a family who cared about him. He wouldn't be labeled a "freak" any longer. To him, this summer was full of promise, and he couldn't wait.

* * *

*- I am running with statements made by Dumbledore in the Half Blood Prince to the Dursleys. He says " 'The magic I evoked fifteen years ago means that Harry has powerful protection while he can still call this house "home".'" I took this in the literal sense that the place itself is what protects Harry rather than his blood relation to Petunia through his mother.

If anyone can remember for sure if there is a different explanation given by Rowling for why Harry must live with the Dursleys, please let me know. For now, that's how I'm going to explain how Harry can still live with Sirius and the other two- since Dumbledore can put the same spell on another place Harry lives, though it takes a lot out of him.

Next Chapter will deal more with Harry being able to live with his godfather and still be protected and also kick start his new life with a loving family. I kinda want to explore how that might affect his attitudes towards Voldemort and the war and his actions. That's all gonna begin to be hinted at, so hopefully I'll get that out soon.

Please Read and Review! : )


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